July 29, 2011

The plan to eliminate most collective bargaining for public employees may be the issue that sparked this year's recall campaigns against six Republican state senators, but neither side is talking much about that issue now as the elections approach.

Instead, Democrats are telling voters Republicans have gone the wrong way with the state budget by cutting schools by nearly $800 million and providing tax breaks to businesses and investors. Republicans are touting their ability to honestly balance the state budget and keep a lid on taxes.

"Both parties have decided that (collective bargaining) doesn't have any traction," said Michael Kraft, a professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

So the shocking outrages the touched of the protests don't move the voters, and the recall elections are like normal elections, asking voters whether they'd like their next helping of legislation to be conservative or liberal. In which case, let's relive what was, I think, the most trenchant commentary about the recall elections: "Isn't that a crime?"

The national Weekly Standard finds that only Milwaukee and Kenosha laid off teachers because they rushed to do contracts before the Walker collective bargaining reforms became law....

Maybe that is why Democrats in the nine recall districts aren't talking about collective bargaining....

It's just not a winning issue for them. Keep in mind that only 14 percent of Wisconsin's workforce is unionized. The 7.6 percent who are unemployed are even less sympathetic to a public employee with enviable job security paying a little something for a pension that enables them to retire in their 50s.

I can be as partisan as anyone, but I also like the game of politics to be played with some reasonableness. Had I known that not a word would seemingly appear about the collective bargaining issue in the Democratic campaigns this summer I never would have supported a recall effort.

All of the concerns that Democrats seem intent on talking about these past weeks are ones that should have been left for the 2012 elections....

Exactly. Recall elections should be reserved for extraordinary circumstances.

"For the Republicans, they do not want to remind people that public school teachers are unhappy, because most people have (a) good feeling about teachers," Shober explained in an email exchange. "For the Democrats, they don't want people to be reminded that public employees can retire in their 50s and enjoy a second lifetime supported in part by taxes. Thus, collective bargaining is not really a winning issue for either party."

If they don't want to talk about it, that means there shouldn't have been a recall campaign in the first place. We're back to ordinary party politics and... isn't that a crime?

"edutcher said...Haven't the school budgets improved (from 1.5M in the red to 400K in the black) because of these reforms?

If so, the Demos are shooting themselves in the foot again." Yes. For example in Roberta Darling's Senate District all the school districts are fine. Walker's BRB has allowed them to deal with the budget cuts, balance their budgets without laying off teachers or cutting programs. That's not stopping the democrats from running commercials about "Devastating school cuts".

"For example in Roberta Darling's Senate District all the school districts are fine. Walker's BRB has allowed them to deal with the budget cuts, balance their budgets without laying off teachers or cutting programs."

As usual the Republicans can't communicate properly. Its like Ryan's plan to save Medicare. It takes about 5 minutes to explain the entire situation and what his plan does. While the Democrats use a 5 second sound bite "Ryan wants to eliminate Medicare".

Yes. As the professor has correctly said it's the same ads you always see. If I were the GOP I would MAKE it an issue of the public unions. These recalls have nothing to do with "school cuts" so I would say "This is a lie. The schools are fine. This is about the teacher's unions wanting you to pay for their largess. You want to pay more in taxes so the teachers can have their extravagant compensation? Vote for my opponent. If you don't, vote for me. Because that's what this is about".

"For example in Roberta Darling's Senate District all the school districts are fine. Walker's BRB has allowed them to deal with the budget cuts, balance their budgets without laying off teachers or cutting programs."

Alex, we have a huge budget issue and Walker fixed it without layoffs or tax increases. I know our gov't employees a pissed because they now have to contribute to their generous benefits, but I have no sympathy for them. After all, once they reach age 55 they can just retire anyway.

There are other tools Walker has given them, such as the ability to shop around for insurance, instead of having to use the unions insurance arm, which to no ones suprise, is by far the most expensive.

Alex, know what else, if the Democrats get back in control, they will do very little different. It's just like Barry...he lied about Gitmo, ending the war in Iraq, illegel warrantless domestic spying, military trials, and on and on and on.

"If I were the GOP I would MAKE it an issue of the public unions. These recalls have nothing to do with "school cuts" so I would say "This is a lie. The schools are fine. This is about the teacher's unions wanting you to pay for their largess. You want to pay more in taxes so the teachers can have their extravagant compensation? Vote for my opponent. If you don't, vote for me. Because that's what this is about"."

Curious G....I was surprised how greedy my school teacher relatives are. All of us in the real world have had to deal with job cuts, pay cuts, super long hours, etc.

My relatives are nice people, so I was surprised by their "me first" attitudes. How all they care about is how much money then can make and how little they are willing to pay into their benefits. But hey, when you work 9 months a year, your pretty worn out by age 55.

"Amazing the Kochs just dropped 400k into that district. Are they just oblivious to all the great new tools?"

You know what? In the past, I'd ask what you're talking about. But I don't give a fuck anymore. Time and again, when I or others have spent the effort to track down your claims, they were disingenous and deceptive. And I think you are smart enough to have known it.

"The Germantown school district's proposed budget does not call for any staffing or program cuts, according to Superintendent Patrick Gabriel"

"In closing, the passage of Act 10 will revolutionize how we operate public schools in Wisconsin. The tools provided in the bill will be fully utilized in the Mequon-Thiensville School District to ensure that all possible resources are being provided to students in the classroom."

"Menomonee Falls:“We do have a balanced budget to go forward with in the 2011-12 school year that will serve the kids well,” said Jeff Gross, director of business services."

"Hundreds of others decided to wait like Shorewood...Whitefish Bay and Brown Deer. Our investigation finds that virtually every district that signed a new deal got the same basic concessions on health care and pensions. Koczela says, "Almost every single other district that signed an extended contract signed it with the wind of the budget repair bill at their back."

garage mahal says:Amazing the Kochs just dropped 400k into that district. Are they just oblivious to all the great new tools?

Garage, do you post over at the Volokh Conspiracy as "rpt"? Because he, like you, brings up the evil Charles and David whenever he has no other argument, even on posts that don't even tangentially have anything to do with them. And also, always without credible links. And both of you started attacking them, coincidentally, I'm almost nearly somewhat certain (mostly), at the exact same time when the Obama admin, the media, and the leftwing blogs simultaneously started attacking them. Is there some sort of "Kocholist", where all you liars and spinners get emails from the Big O himself on what to say next?

Regarding the health of the WI school districts under the cruel and inhuman draconian cuts of Walker's budget, here is a good summary. Seems the only school districts that are still hurting are the ones that rammed through these wondrous collectivist bargaining contracts while Judge SueMe's edict was still in effect. Another big fat coincidence, surely.Walker’s Vindication: The controversial Wisconsin budget reform saves teachers’ jobs

OMG, lefty Greg Sargent says that lefty org OneWisconsin says that it ESTIMATES from it's internal sources that Club for Growth, which may or may not have current Koch Bros. contributions, spent money on Darling ads? That's some incriminating stuff there!

Not specifically Bob's Bigboy. In my neck of the woods they were called Marc's Bigboy. Different name, same mascot. In addition to Bob's and Marc's, there were also Elias Brothers and Shoney's. I believe there were many others as well.

Original Mike said...That's the way it always is. The man's a serial liar.

Or just one of the utterly fucking stupid sheep Saul Alinsky's cookbook tactics assume will parrot whatever mile-wide inch deep story they are fed.

However, as garage stops disseminating a story here once it's thoroughly exposed as a lie, only to unapologetically reissue it a few days later (right out of Alinky's bokk by the way), it appears that he realizes that it is an indefensible lie.

My vote is that he is a melding of the two stereotypes progressive foot soldiers are drawn from.

I heard a great suggestion yesterday regarding war "savings". If we didn't invade Pakistain, that would save another $1T. Don't invade Egypt; $1T in savings. And can you imagine how many trillions we'd save if we don't invade China?

Actually, I've pointed out several times already by easily debunking his comments that he is first and foremost a liar. Extending garage the benefit of the doubt assuming he is ignorant, misinformed, incapable of understanding the provenance and validity of information, or unable to distinguish the difference between opinion and fact, is cutting him slack he doesn't deserve. I think he is all that - utterly fucking stupid - but he is first and foremost an alinsky progressive and so by definition a presumptive and reflexive liar.

I wonder if the Democrats will be punished for creating a dysfunctional government. That seems to be the principal concern and prevailing admonishment of Republicans in the national debate.

How dare they be obstructionists.

For some reason.. No, I know the reason. Promises of instant gratification are sufficient to corrupt many people, especially when it occurs through coerced redistributive change (i.e., involuntary exploitation). That's why left-wing ideology is so popular until progressive corruption becomes overwhelming, then individual dignity reasserts itself and people act to remove left-wing ideologues from power. I guess humanity is destined to relive this cycle perpetually.

Shall we revisit the Vitter claims you made when you were trying to establish your Weiner equivalency asshole? Repeatedly reissuing them after being shown they had no substance - right out of Alinsky?

I don't even read your comments any longer. I usually pass right over them because they offer nothing. My time would be better spent watching paint dry than wasting time with your lies and utter fucking stupidity. I only step in your ignorant bullshit when someone I respect as a thoughtful commenter mentions it.

You're a lightweight jackass parroting the worst sites and writers for purveying duplicitous distortions on the net. You get exposed repeatedly when you do because you're too superficial to understand you're being used - the ovine vapidity that is the trademark of a mob.

Must suck to wake up in the morning an realize that all you'll ever be capable of being is you.

Just wrapping up a week at our Northern HQ (Door Co.), and the shoulder hours of TV (two hours prior to prime) have been awash in union funded attacks on Republicans. Interestingly, nothing in prime time, so spending is being held down so far. No mention of CB specifically. Attacks have been purely "fat cat" type of things which the Dems would use in any election, and the adds are identical for both Repubs running in the area. I would describe the productions quality and message of the adds as "schlock".

As a Floridian, the most important thing about the Wisconsin recall election is state representatives putting themselves on the line, to do what they feel is right and then not being allowed to stay in office to see the results of that legislation. Why should any representative put their neck on the line for treatment like this?

I believe the Democrats should be ashamed of themselves, for their conduct in this whole event. I hope, sincerely, the citizens of Wisconsin refuse to go ahead with this folly and return all of these politicians to office. If they want to remove anyone, it should be those who fled the state, and their responsibilities, and refused to do their job. If the Democrats believe that representing the unions is more important than representing their constituents, they don't deserve to be in office, but that should also wait until the next election.

If G.W. Bush's term started in 2008, does anyone think he would still be in office with unemployment as it is along with the Pigford scam, armed voter intimidation by the NBP, and a dead Border Patrol agent due to Fast & Furious?

Two kinds of people in the world: Those who want to tell you what to do and use use force [i.e. govt] to make it happen, and those who don't.

While it's obvious that Garbage is running with the first group, it's not obvious that he's actually smart enough to be one of the 'rulers' so he'll settle for being a toady or bootlicker or dogsbody, whichever position opens up first.

He's rather obviously not smart enough to be a productive member of the second group. He'd starve. Thus he takes the path of least resistance.

I long ago stopped reading Caffeinated Politics (dekerivers aka Greg Humphrey) for the 'comedy' of his rants and ramblings. It's amazing how much anger a guy can have when he and his partner James are both living on disability and getting his paycheck from you and me.